


Up, Up And Away

by ncsupnatfan



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Family, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:53:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23648032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ncsupnatfan/pseuds/ncsupnatfan
Summary: Dean decides they need a down day and find an air show at a nearby Air Force base.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	Up, Up And Away

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VegasGranny](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VegasGranny/gifts).



**A/N: This an idea given to me my VegasGranny and this is the end results. I thought it would be nice to give you a little humor during these troubling times and give you something to read. I hope you enjoy. Reviews do make my day and hope you will leave me one. NC**

* * *

Sam was sitting at a table in the library surrounded by books that he was absorbed in reading. He remembered when a stranger suddenly staggered out of their closet in a motel the brothers were staying at, insisting he was looking for John Winchester. It turned out he was their grandfather, Henry Winchester, jumping forward from the past through a portal, to stop a Knight of Hell from slaughtering the Men of Letters secret society. The brothers helped their grandfather to take of the Knight of Hell called, Abbadon, but in the process he was killed. Before he died, Henry gave them the location for the bunker and the key to open the front door. They had made the bunker their operating base and had been living here for nearly two months.

Dean had called it their Bat Cave and settled right in, claiming a bedroom for his own and even decorating it with his favorite weapons, albums, and other personal items. Sam took a random bedroom far away from his brother and that was what it was, a bedroom for him to rest, nothing more. He didn’t think of the place as their home, but as a base of operations for their hunts. Sam was over the moon with all the knowledge he had found so far in this place and had only scratched the surface.

Sam looked up when his brother strolled into the room wearing an old, brownish robe and slippers. His hair was wet from a shower and there was a serene look on his face.

“I’m in love with the water pressure in this place.”

“You say that every time you shower. Where did you get the outfit?”

“You’re not the only one who has been doing some exploring.”

“You know that’s a sixty-year-old dead man’s robe and slippers.”

“Well, I guess he won’t be needing them anymore. Did you make coffee?”

Sam gave his brother a bitch face as he strolled on by him ending the conversation between them. There was still some friction between them because Dean had killed his friend Amy and Sam still had ill feelings toward Dean. He went back to his reading ignoring his brother as he came back through carrying a cup of coffee. Neither said anything to the other as Dean went to his bedroom to get dressed and decide if he wanted to explore some more, do a supply run, look for a hunt or just chill. He got dressed and decided to do a supply run since they were running low on food. He was enjoying having a real kitchen now where he could actually cook. Dean headed up the steps without speaking to Sam, knowing he was still in a bitchy mood and just as soon not speak to him.

**spn**

Sam had decided to check out another of the locked doors that lined the halls of this enormous bunker. He couldn’t believe this place had been here all this time and no one had ever run across it. He had found a ring of keys in one of the desk drawers and it was trial and error trying to find the right key for the doors since they were not labeled. Sam swore under his breath wondering how these Men of Letters could be so detailed oriented in most thing and not label their keys. It took ten keys before he found the right one and unlocked the door to the storage room. He took a permanent marker and wrote a number on the key and on the door, so he’d know it matched.

The room was stale and musty smelling as he stepped deeper into it. He looked around at the shelves that had all shapes and sizes of boxes, metal, wooden and cardboard, files and objects covered with plastic or cloth. He stared around in amazement as he walked slowly to the first shelve and looked at a box that had a yellowed label saying it was a cursed cup and had an alpha-numeric code. He looked around and saw some notebooks sitting on a shelve near the door. He pulled one out and opened it to find pages of neat handwritten lists that cataloged he thought all the items in this room. There were five notebooks and each notebook had a hundred pages of single-spaced writing. He looked back at the shelves in awe wondering how this organization could collect so many supernatural objects and what was stashed away in the other rooms.

Sam locked the door back and headed back toward the main part of the complex. He walked up the two steps into the library and an enticing aroma caught his attention making his stomach growl and complain about not being fed. He let his nose lead him into the kitchen to find Dean humming to himself as he stirred something on the stove.

“What smells so good?” Sam asked as his mouth started watering and hoped Dean had made enough for two.

“When did you last eat?” Dean asked him, glancing over his shoulder at his brother. He knew how Sam got when he started working on a project and this place was a huge project for him.

“I had…Well…I ate an apple…” Sam stammered when he realized he couldn’t answer the question.

“What I thought. Grab a bar stool, it’s almost ready,” Dean instructed using a spoon to point to the two place settings already out and waiting.

Sam didn’t have to be asked twice and slipped onto a stool and watched as Dean pulled a pan from the oven and began to dish food out onto two plates. He sat one in front of Sam and the other to the empty spot for him. Dean placed a basket of rolls between them and grabbed two beers from the fridge before joining him at the bar.

“Wow, I never knew you could cook like this,” Sam said.

“We never had a kitchen to cook in before,” Dean shrugged. “Eat up while it’s still hot.”

Sam eagerly cut a piece of meat and sopped it in gravy before taking a bite and hummed his delight as the flavors exploded in his mouth. He tried the vegetables and had to admit it all tasted good. Sam was eating fast until he noticed Dean had a bite posed to eat but was holding it in midair as he stared at him.

“Damn Sammy, you can slow down, there’s seconds if you want them,” Dean told him.

“Sorry,” Sam mumbled as he felt his face grow hot. He chewed up what was in his mouth and washed it down with several sips of beer, burping softly behind his napkin. He paced himself, this time and savored the food as he cleaned his plate. He held it out when Dean asked if he wanted seconds and smiled as Dean chuckled softly.

“You know tomorrow’s Saturday and I found us something to do to get out of here for the day,” Dean offered as he sat Sam’s plate back down. “You know we’ve not really done anything since we found this place but settling in and all. We could use a change of scenery for a day.”

“What?” Sam questioned warily.

“There’s a big air show at McConnell Air Force Base tomorrow. It’s about two and a half hours away. We could head out late this afternoon and get a motel room in Wichita and make a day of it….” Dean trailed off waiting to see if Sam would take him up on his offer.

Sam began to eat his food and his mind started whirling. He loved things like that, and they didn’t get to do very much normal stuff anymore. He had checked the web and things were pretty quiet right now. This would be a great experience and would get them out of here to relax for a day.

“Okay, I’m in,” Sam answered taking a roll and splitting it open to put a piece of meat in it making a sandwich.

“You sure?” Dean asked wanting to be sure.

“Yeah, sounds like fun. I’ll go get ready after I finish eating.”

“Great! I gassed the Impala, so we’ll be ready to go once we’re packed. Is there anything we should do to, I don’t know, shut this down for a day?” he asked looking around.

“I don’t think anything will hurt. It really runs on its own now that we’ve got the breakers and power restored.”

“Did you ever figure out how we have power and water?”

“Nope, still a mystery. I’m just glad it works. That was your best cooking yet Dean, thanks,” Sam praised him before getting up with his dirty plate and taking it to the sink. He headed through the library and down the hall to his bedroom to pack a small bag for an overnight trip.

Dean watched Sam go and didn’t say anything thinking he might be finally letting go of some of the past so they could move on. He got up and went to the sink to wash the few dishes that were dirty. He had washed the pots and pans as he went so it didn’t take him long. Dean dried his hands on a towel and followed after his brother stopping at his own bedroom and going in. He looked in his closet for a small bag and in the dresser for a change of clothes, packing them. He stepped to the bathroom and grabbed his bag being sure it had his toothbrush, paste and shampoo. He came out and met Sam coming down the hall with a bag over his shoulder, ready to leave.

“You want a water to take with us?” Dean asked stopping at the intersection and waiting for an answer.

“Sure,” Sam replied. “I’ll meet you in the garage.”

Dean shook his head and smiled. It still sounded strange to know they had a garage and it had all kinds of vehicles in it that he hoped to get running as the days passed. He headed into the kitchen and opened the large fridge to grab a couple of waters for the trip. He hoped they could put aside their differences and just have a good time at the airshow.

**spn**

Dean pulled into Wichita as dusk was falling across the land. He found a motel about five miles from the base and sent Sam in to get them a room. There was a steakhouse nearby that would do for dinner and then they could relax in the room, watch some television and turn in early. The air show started at nine am and he wanted to get there early to get a decent parking spot.

Once Dean checked the room and they dropped their bags off, and the brothers walked down the street to the steakhouse and had a nice dinner. Dean had a choice of several homemade pies for dessert and was happy. He even got a slice of pie to go to have for a snack later. They headed back to the room and settled in for the night.

Dean found an old movie for them to watch. He adjusted his pillows and got comfortable gazing at the screen of the television as the action played out on it. He gave Sam a sideways glance as he headed into the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed. Having a full stomach, getting relaxed, and listening to the soft drone of the television had Dean dozing off.

Sam took his time in the shower and let the strong spray beat on his shoulders and neck. It felt good and loosened up his tight muscles, relaxing him. He shut the water off and grabbed a bath towel to dry with before stepping from the tub. Sam dressed in light sweats and tee shirt to sleep in and gathered his clothes before stepping from the bathroom, letting out a cloud of steam. He glanced at the beds and saw Dean was asleep, his head rolled to the side and his mouth slightly open. Sam dropped his clothes on a chair and went to turn down his bed. He looked back over at his brother and huffed softly knowing he couldn’t leave him like that.

After slipping the control from Dean’s slack hand, Sam was careful as he mumbled to him and gave his arm a slight shake.

“Dean, roll over,” Sam whispered to him. He stepped back out of the reach of flaying arms if Dean came up fighting. Dean grunted and smacked at the air as he rolled to his side and settled back down. Sam was careful as he moved a pillow out of the way and draped a blanket over Dean’s prone body. He took the remote and climbed into his own bed. After flipping through the channels, he found a documentary to watch until he got sleepy. He listened to his brother’s soft snoring for a moment before looking back to the screen to absently watch the show.

**spn**

“You ‘bout done in there?” Dean called to Sam through the bathroom door.

“Almost, give me a minute,” Sam replied, annoyance in his voice. He knew his brother was excited and anxious to get to the base. Sam wouldn’t admit it, but he was excited too and couldn’t wait to see all the planes and displays and see the demonstrations. Sam had looked up the event and saw the Thunderbirds were going to be performing at noon and couldn’t wait to see that. What they did in the sky with a plane was what Dean could do on the road with the Impala. Both were accomplished drivers, one a plane, the other a car.

They checked out of the motel and headed to the airbase. They hit traffic a mile before the turnoff to the base and Dean got in line to get in. He followed the sharp dressed airman that were stationed along the way directing traffic to the parking area and getting the cars parked. Dean was lucky he got an end spot and made sure the car beside them wasn’t too close to ding his Baby.

“C’mon Sammy, let’s do this,” Dean said his steps bouncing as he headed for the gate to get tickets.

Sam shook his head thinking he was acting like a six-year-old who had never seen a plane before. It kind of surprised him since Dean had a fear of flying and wouldn’t set foot on a plane unless it was an emergency, like when they flew to Scotland to help Bobby break Crowley’s contract and get his soul back. He hurried to catch up with him and waited in the line for their turn to buy tickets.

“Look Sammy, they’re having a drawing at one pm and the top prize is a flight in a jet like Cruise flew in Top Gun, F-14 Tomcat,” Dean pointed to a sign showing prizes and had a box to put half a ticket they were given when they paid.

“What would you do if you won?” Sam asked dropping his half of a ticket into the box after Dean did the same.

Dean stopped for a moment as he thought about the question.

“The only thing I could do Sammy, give it to you.” He headed off into the crowd leaving Sam standing there dumbfounded with Dean’s remark.

Sam stared at his brother’s back with his mouth hanging open and couldn’t move for a moment until he snapped out of it and took off after him before they got separated. They both had their cells and could text each other, but he wanted to enjoy this experience with his brother.

The tarmac was filled with so many different plane, helicopters, military transport, and there were tents that had displayed of weapons, uniforms, and a section with food, drink and portable restrooms. They started at one side and slowly worked their way down the rows of aircraft. Sam took photos and had Dean take some with him in them. They saw T-38 trainer planes, F-15, F-16, F-18 fighter aircrafts, B-52 bombers, harriers, Blackbirds, F-10, F-22, C-17, C-47 cargo planes and there was an area that had older prop planes and twin engines that caught Dean’s interest.

The brothers timed it to be back to the stadium in time for the Thunderbirds performance. They grabbed some food and drink and found seats to eat and wait for the noon time show. Dean had bought them hats to wear since the sun was getting hot. Sam threw away their trash and took his seat again just as the announcement came over the intercom that the Thunderbirds were getting ready to make a fly over to start the show. He got out his cell and when the planes suddenly flew over and split as they went straight up, each going in a different direction was amazing. They did loops, rolls, twist, dogfights, and aerial performances like they were dancing in the sky. Sam got as much as he could recorded, thinking Bobby would like to see this. The last thing the Thunderbirds did was fly over in the missing man formation in honor of a pilot that had been killed in a car crash. Everyone stood when the announcer requested it to honor the fallen hero. Sam couldn’t help the tears that filled his eyes as he thought what an honor that was. He started thinking if something happened to him or Dean, would anyone mourn them or even know they were gone.

“Hey, earth to Sammy, c’mon, they’re getting ready to do the drawing,” Dean told him smacking his arm to break him out of his thoughts.

“Yeah, right,” Sam nodded clearing his throat and wiping his eyes as he got up to join Dean near the stage. He dug around in his pocket for his ticket and waited as a guy in dressed blues with stars on his collar began to pull tickets from the box that was mixed by a captain. “Where’s your ticket?”

“Somewhere, why does it matter, you know we’ll never win anything,” Dean replied finally digging his ticket out when Sam gave him a bitch face to at least try.

The winners were making their way up through the crowd to claim their prizes. The general said the last price a ride in a fighter jet was next. He waited for the winners to get their prizes before continuing. Everyone had their tickets ready and was waiting in anticipation as the captain shook the box before the general reached in and pulled out a ticket. He read the number and waited, scanning the crowd to see who the winner was.

Dean glanced at his ticket and the number as the general began to read it off. His mouth dropped opened as he gazed at the winning ticket.

“Take it!” Dean hissed shoving his ticket into Sam’s hand and push him toward the stage.

Sam saw Dean stiffen with a look of terror on his face as he looked at his ticket. He wasn’t sure what was going on until he shoved his ticket into his hand and aim him at the stage.

“Here! Here!” Dean yelled. “My brother has the ticket.”

Sam was shocked as the crowd parted allowing a path to walk toward the stage. He was freaking out, his eyes wide and his mouth dry as he handed over the ticket for proof and shook the general and captain’s hands. He didn’t see Dean smirking behind him as the captain motioned to an airman to take Sam to the hanger to change and get ready for the ride. Dean trailed along behind them, never imaging that he would win the top prize.

“I’m going to have you change into a flight suit and have you sign some papers before we take you to the flight line,” the airman instructed him.

“Can my brother come with me?” Sam asked looking around for Dean and saw him standing to the side. “He’s the one who bought the tickets.”

“Sure, he can wait in the hall for you,” the airman nodded motioning for Dean to follow. “There’s a locker for you to put your clothes. I’d give your brother anything of value to be on the safe side.”

“Okay,” Sam replied trying to take all it in at once.

“Right, let me see, how tall are you?”

“Six foot four,” Sam told him.

“Wow, you’re a tall one. Give me a minute, I’ll have to find a bigger flight suit.” The airman disappeared and Dean stuck his head into the locker room to see Sam sitting down to take off his boots.

“You doing okay Sammy?”

“I think so. Are you sure you don’t want to fly?”

“You do know who you’re talking to, right? I’m fine keeping my feet right here on the ground. The only flying I want to do is in my Baby.”

“This is…This is like a dream, thanks Dean, I really mean it.”

“Anytime, just don’t puke in the plane. I don’t think they’ll like that.”

“I better go to the bathroom,” Sam said looking around quickly trying to find the bathroom.

“Over there,” Dean laughed as Sam trotted away sock footed.

“I finally found a suit I think will fit,” the airman announced as he stepped back into the locker room and looked around for Sam. “Sir?” he called.

“He’s gone to the head,” Dean told him. “How long will he be up there?”

“Well, if he does okay, the pilot usually keep them in the air for thirty to forty minutes. If he freaks, it’ll be a short flight.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Sammy won’t freak. He’s been through much worse than flying in a jet,” Dean told him not elaborating any further.

The airman looked at Dean not sure what to say and laid the suit on the bench.

“When he’s changed, I’ll be waiting outside.”

“Sure, I’ll let him know.”

Ten minutes later, Sam came back and started taking off his clothes and putting them in the locker. He gave Dean his money, wallet, cell, and watch. He didn’t want anything in his pockets that might drop out during the flight. Sam didn’t think that was safe.

“The airman, I think his name is Cooper, is waiting outside for you.”

“Okay,” Sam said adjusting the one-piece flight suit and zipping it up. He put his boots back on and squared his shoulders before heading out with Dean trailing along behind him.

“Sammy,” Dean told him once they were out of the locker room.

“What?” Sam asked turning around to see Dean was snapping photos of him suited up. 

“Just wanted to record this onetime event.”

“If you come with me sir, there’s some papers for you to sign and then we’ll head out to the flight line and go over emergency protocol and the do’s and don’ts of the cockpit.”

“Umm…Sure, okay,” Sam nodded not realizing how complicated this was going to be. He had no idea what to expect in the cockpit having only seen some today. He was a ball of emotions from excited, anxious, scared, tense, and shaky. They were led into an office and Sam was given a clipboard to sign papers that basically said if anything went wrong and you died, you couldn’t sue the Air Force for the death. Sam read over them, letting what he was signing sink in.

Dean had a feeling what these papers said and when he saw the serious look on Sam’s face, knew he was right. If Sam died during the flight, the Air Force would not be liable, and he couldn’t sue them. He was started to worry Sam was going to back out until he finally took the pen and signed them.

“You only live once, right?” Sam said looking at Dean.

“For most people,” Dean replied knowing they had cheated death more than once in their lives so far.

**spn**

The flight line had planes lining it, chalked and being pre-flighted. Sam stared wide eyed at the planes as they made their way to a silver fighter jet. He looked at it and his legs grew weak for a moment. He was actually doing this.

“Hey there, are you the winner?” a pilot asked as he walked up to the plane.

“Yes,” Sam croaked out and cleared his throat to try again. “I’m Sam.”

“I’m Captain Marsh, code name Maverick, and no this wasn’t planned, and no you can tell I’m not Tom Cruise,” he laughed.

“Guess that makes me Goose,” Sam joked, trying to hide his nerves. “That’s my brother Dean,” Sam introduced him as Dean snapped photos of Sam’s adventure.

“Hello Dean, nice to meet you,” Captain Marsh nodded to him.

“How long you been flying sir?” Dean asked.

“Going on fifteen years now. Was in ROTC in high school, went into the Air Force Academy and became a pilot. Don’t worry, your brother is in good hands.”

“Take care of my little brother up there but give him the time of his life,” Dean whispered to him before accepting ear plugs from an airman and being showed where to stand out of the way.

“Do you have any questions Sam before getting strapped in?” Maverick asked. “Have you ever flown before? Not commercial, but in small planes?”

“No, first for me,” Sam told him, his voice slightly shaky. “I think I’m good.”

“Are you okay? Do you still want to go up?”

“Yeah, I’ve been to Hell, I can handle this.”

The pilot gave him a funny look by his remark but didn’t say anything. “The crew chief will get you settled while I do a preflight.”

“Alright, I’m ready,” Sam said strongly.

Sam watched as a ladder was put up to the back cockpit and accepted a helmet and after brushing his hair back slipped on. He climbed the ladder and carefully slid his long body into the cockpit and got seated. The crew chief climbed up and adjusted the harness and locked it in place. He began to go over instructions and explained about if he had to eject how to do it and to not touch the handle unless the pilot instructed him. Sam knew from movies that the canopy would be ejected and then the seat he was sitting in would be shot out away from the plane. A parachute would open, and he would float to the ground, hopefully unhurt.

Sam listened carefully to every word the crew chief told him and looked at everything around him. There were so many instruments and gauges that he knew nothing about. The last thing the crew chief did, was explain the oxygen mask and that he needed to wear it at all times until they landed. He was going to be feeling the G force when the pilot did some aerial maneuvers. The crew chief fastened the mask over Sam’s face and checked to be sure he was getting oxygen before climbing down and removing the ladder.

Dean zoomed in closer at took a few shots of Sam in the cockpit with helmet on and waved at him, giving him a thumb’s up sign to get one back. He watched the pilot walking around the plane checking everything before finally coming back around and climbing the ladder to get into the front cockpit. He let the crew chief help strap him in and waited for him to remove the ladder before closing the canopy. Once it was locked in place, the crew chief removed the chocks from the wheels and motioned for the pilot that it was clear to start the engines.

A hum began to fill the air as the engines lit and the crew chief pulled the electrical cord and locked the panel in place. He moved out of the way and used hand signals to guide the plane from the row and out toward the runway. The engines got louder as the pilot pushed the throttle forward to make the plane row to the runway. The pilot got clearance from the tower and checked with Sam that he was okay before lining up for takeoff.

**spn**

Sam thought he was ready as he felt the power of the plane surge through his entire body with the vibration of the plane when the pilot started the plane rolling down the runway and suddenly the plane shot upward pressing Sam back into the seat and taking his breath away. The G force was hard at first until the plane leveled off as it shot across the sky. Sam finally drew in a shaky breath and looked out through the clear canopy at the sky and down at the tiny things on the ground. They passed through some low hanging clouds and Sam marveled at it as they came out of the mist a poem came to mind that he read while in college.

_‘…Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue_

_I’ve toppled the wind-swept heights with easy grace_

_Where never lark or even eagle flew—_

_And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod_

_The high untrespassed sanctity of space_

_Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.’_

Sam lifted his trembling hand and pressed it to the canopy and looked out at the vastness of the sky that surrounded him. It was almost more than he could comprehend as tears blurred his vision. He was pulled out of his thoughts as a voice echoed in his ears.

“Are you okay Sam?” Maverick asked over the radio.

“I think so,” Sam replied as he cleared his throat and swallow hard wanting his stomach to settle back in place.

“We’ll do a fly by and wave at the crowd, and then a few maneuvers showing what this bird can do. After that let’s see how you’re doing.”

“That sound good.” Sam agreed. “Everything looks so tiny from up here.”

“Wait until we climb higher. Okay hold on, we’re going buzz the stands.”

Sam felt the plane pick up speed as it sped across the sky and watched as suddenly the stand where he had been sitting a few hours before flashed by in the blink of an eye. They pulled up and did a loop making Sam’s stomach end up in his throat. He couldn’t describe the feeling of weightlessness as they plane came out of the loop and leveled off. Before Sam could recover, the plane jerked right, and his body was pressed tightly against the harness as his head rolled to the side. The pilot did spiral loops before coming out of it and slowing down.

“Still doing good back there?” Maverick asked Sam. He waited for an answer before asking again, “Sam?”

“I’m fine,” Sam finally got out through clenched teeth as his hand gripped the sides of the seat with a steel grip.

“You’ve got to relax now and breath normal Sam. I don’t want you passing out on me and missing all the fun.”

“I’m fine,” Sam repeated as he made himself suck in hard breaths very slowly. He tasted the cool air that was being pumped into the mask and though it tasted funny. He concentrated on controlling his fears and anxiety as Maverick took the plane up again and let it drop straight down nose first toward the earth. He pulled up before he got too low and whipped it off to the left and then back to the right. Sam knew if he wasn’t strapped so tightly, he’d be flaying back and forth with the moves.

“One last move I call, a replay of Maverick’s stunt to get the pic of the Russian plane,” Maverick told Sam and he suddenly flipped the plane over, and they were flying upside down.

Sam looked at the ground below them and his equilibrium went haywire. He couldn’t tell if they were up or down and his ears were stopping up making it hard to hear. His head was starting to pound when the plane turned over and fell into a cruising speed. Everything was still spinning, and Sam’s eyes were out of focus as he blinked rapidly trying to clear his vision. He started seeing spots until Sam realized he wasn’t breathing and took in a short breath, not wanting to lose consciousness.

“I hope you enjoyed the flight Sam; we’ll be landing in fifteen minutes.”

“’k,” Sam squeaked out as his body tried to adjust to what had happened. He couldn’t express into words what that just felt like and his mind was being overwhelmed with all the new sensations, feelings, and stimulants.

They flew around in the clear sky, circling the base and taking in the scenery from up there, before Maverick contacted the tower to get clearance for landing. When he received the okay, he lined up with the runway and slowly began to let the plane drop from the sky and adjusted the flaps to slow their decent. He dropped the landing gear and pulled up on the nose as the wheels touched down and bounced once before settling and rolling down the runway as he pressed hard on the breaks to slow the plane to a slow roll. Maverick guided the plane to where the crew chief was waiting to park it. He followed the hand signals and when the chief crossed his arms for him to stop, put on the brakes stopping and shutting off the engine. Chalks were put on the tires and the ladders were brought out as Maverick raised the canopy so they could hook them over the plane’s edge.

Maverick got out of his harness and climbed down from the cockpit. He looked back as the crew chief climbed the ladder to help Sam.

“That was amazing!” Dean called to the pilot as he ran over to the plane. “How did Sammy do?”

“He didn’t throw up or pass out,” Maverick told him looking up at the crew chief wondering why Sam wasn’t getting of the plane. “That a good thing.”

“Sir, you need to let go of the seat. You’re on the ground now and can get out. Sir, can you hear me?”

“I think Smitty might need a little help getting your brother out of the cockpit,” Maverick chuckled.

“Yeah, I’ll handle it,” Dean nodded when he heard the crew chief’s words. “Mind if I give it a shot?”

“Sure, I can’t get him to let go and I don’t want to hurt him trying to pry his fingers free.”

Dean climbed the ladder and looked in at Sam. He unfastened the helmet and gently pulled it off his sweaty head. Sam was staring straight ahead, and he was clutching the seat sides so hard his hands were shaking and his knuckles were white.

“Hey Buddy, you need to get out of the cockpit so the nice crew chief can have his plane back,” Dean cooed to him cupping his face and turning it, so Sam was looking at him. “You did great Sammy, you’re on the ground now.” When he didn’t get a response and patted his face trying to bring him out of his trance like state.

“Here, see if he’ll sip a little water, that might help,” the crew chief offered holding up a bottle of ice-cold water.

“Here you go, drink a little water; I’m sure it’ll taste good after that flight.” Dean opened it and held it to Sam’s lips as the tilted to bottle letting some run into his mouth. He saw Sam swallow slightly as part of the water ran down his chin. Dean pulled out a bandanna and poured water over it to wipe Sam’s face and drape it against the back of his neck. It seemed the cold cloth worked as Sam blinked rapidly and tried to bring Dean into focus. “There you are dude. How ‘bout we get down and you go change your clothes. The shows almost over with and we need to head home. Think you can open your hands?”

Sam tried to make sense of what Dean was saying and watched as he rubbed his cold hands trying to get circulation going in them again. Slowly, Sam finally made his finger release his hold and let Dean massage them in his warm ones before understanding he could get out.

“That’s it Sammy, I’m right behind you, take it easy and watch your steps. I don’t need a butt in the face if you fall ‘cause we’d both go down.” Dean eased down the ladder being sure Sam was steady enough to get down too.

When Sam turned and let go of the ladder, he started going sideways since his balance was still off. Dean grabbed him before he fell and threw Sam’s arm over his shoulders and wrapped his own arm around Sam’s waist.

“Dean make the ground stop turning sideways,” Sam complained as he tried to walk and only managed to stagger sideways.

“Whoa there, wrong way dude. The hanger’s this way; just lean on me and I’ll get us there,” Dean told him as he got them pointed in the right direction.

“Is he going to be okay?” Maverick asked as he walked with them.

“Sure, just a little unsteady right now. He’ll get his land legs back shortly.”

“Thanks for the flight,” Sam got out as he worked on making his leg cooperate.

“Anytime, you guys have a good rest of the day.” Maverick veered off and headed to a different part of the hanger as Dean zig-zagged Sam toward the open door and into the hanger.

“We’re almost there Sammy. I’ll get your clothes out for you and you can change.”

“Okay.”

Dean pushed the door opened and got Sam to a bench at his locker. He started to sit him down, when Sam stared to gurgle and gag as he held a hand to his mouth.

“Hold on Sam, just a second,” Dean urged as he changed directions and got him into the bathroom and to a commode.

Sam fell to his knees and supported his head in his hand with his elbows on the top of the commode as he started spitting up whatever was left in his stomach. He coughed and spit into the commode before wheezing and panting as he waited to see if the sickness had passed. Sam groaned in misery and dry heaved several times but nothing else came out.

“Wash your mouth out and sip a little water,” Dean offered holding the bottle of water out to him. He watched Sam rinse his mouth and spit into the commode before flushing it and grabbing the side of the stall to leverage himself up.

“I need to use the bathroom,” he told Dean, his voice hoarse and raw.

“Okay, I’ll be out here,” Dean replied letting the door shut to give him some privacy. He moved to the sink to wash his hands and wait for Sam to finish. “Are you feeling better?”

“Some, just my head’s still a little messed up and I feel woozy.”

“After the stunts the pilot did, I’m surprised you can stand at all dude. That was awesome, and I’m so glad it wasn’t me up there.”

“It was pretty amazing,” Sam agreed as he flushed the commode and stepped out. With careful steps, Sam made it to the sink and washed his hands and face and drying them on the paper towels Dean handed him.

“Go slow,” Dean cautioned him as he grabbed Sam’s arm to steady him. They walked back into the locker room and Sam sat down to take his boots off, while Dean got his clothes. He slipped on his tee shirt and slipped his jeans over his leg without falling off the bench. He stood to pulled them up and leaned against the lockers as he zipped and fastened them. Once he had his boots on, the brothers headed out and made their way toward the gate to leave.

“That was something I’m not going to forget any time soon. Thanks Dean.”

“Any time Sammy. Why don’t you lay down in the back and try to rest on the ride back?”

“I think I’ll be better off in front than laying down in back. I need to sit up to stave off the dizziness.”

“Okay fine. If you need to stop just let me know.”

“I will. My equilibrium is starting to get back to normal now, I should be okay.”

“You should rest tomorrow, and I thought I’d look for a case for next week.”

“Alright, guess it’s time we got back out there. I looked a few days ago but didn’t find anything that looked like our thing.”

“I’m sure something will pop up, it usually does.”

Dean unlocked the car and dropped into the driver’s seat before reaching over to unlock Sam’s door. He rolled down the window to let the hot air out and cranked her. Once Sam was settled in the passenger seat, Dean pulled out and headed back toward the interstate to head north for Lebanon.

“Did you know that when we’re in the bunker our cells phones can’t be traced?” Sam said randomly.

“How do you know that?” Dean asked wondering where that came from.

“I tried it on one of my trips to town. I tried to track your cell and couldn’t do it. It’s like there’s some kind of barrier protecting the place. And it has all kinds of warding to keep all supernatural creatures out.”

“That’s good to know.”

“Another interesting fact I learned is Lebanon, Kansas is the geographic center of the Contentious US and is the center point for a number of ley lines.”

“So, the bunker is a hot spot for supernatural energy. Maybe that’s why it was built there.”

“Does kind of make you won…der…” Sam yawned letting his voice trail off. He was finally coming down from his high and the steady motion of the car and the purr of the engine was putting him to sleep. He leaned his head against the side window and closed his eyes giving in to the darkness.

Dean looked over at him and smiled thinking this had been a good day and maybe would allow them to move on now. He turned on the radio and lower to volume to fill the silence in the car. Dean drummed his fingers to the beat of the music as he took them home.

**The End**


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